Method for making a plastic bellows elbow with spigot and socket ends



Dec; 7, 1965 s. N. SCHLEIN 3,222,441 METHOD FOR MAKING A PLASTIC BELLO ELBOW WITH SPIGOT AND SOCKET EN S Original Filed Feb. 20 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

BY V

H]; A I'TOE/VEY Dec. 7, 1965 s. N. SCHLEIN 3,222,441

METHOD FOR MAKING A PLASTIC BELLOWS ELBOW WITH SPIGOT AND SOCKET ENDS Original Filed Feb. 20, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. JTYMOUE /z 6w Dec. 7, 1965 s. N. SCHLEIN 3,222,441

METHOD FOR MAKING A PLASTIC BELLOWS ELBOW WITH SPIGOT AND SOCKET ENDS 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed Feb. 20,

h'lS A TTORNEY United States Patent 3,222,441 METHOD FOR MAKING A PLASTIC BELLOWS ELBOW WITH SPIGOT AND SOCKET ENDS Seymour N. Schlein, University Heights, Ohio, assignor to The Farmer Manufacturing Company, a Division of gelsxtlsm, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Rhode s an Original application Feb. 20, 1961, Ser. No. 90,383, now Patent No. 3,076,669, dated Feb. 5, 1963. Divided and this application Dec. 17, 1962, Ser. No. 245,163 1 Claim. (Cl. 264-230) This invention relates to an improved method for making apparatus for drainage systems for houses and more particularly to an improved elbow for connecting a leader to an eavestrough or gutter. This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 90,383, filed February 20, 1961 and now U.S. Patent No. 3,076,669, granted February 5, 1963.

Heretofore it has been common practice to connect a gutter to a leader or downspout with one or more elbows. In this case the eavestrough is disposed at and slightly under the outermost horizontally extending edge of the roof which usually has some overhang outward of the side of the dwelling. The eavestrough is usually supported so that it drains toward one end, and, the lower end is provided with an opening in the bottom. It is desirable to have the downspout supported close to or against the side or corner of the house, and, the upper end connects to the eavestrough while the lower end conmeets to a drain. Usually the eavestrough and downspout are made of metal and where one is connected to the other, metallic elbows are used.

The metallic elbows usually have a certain fixed degree of bend, such as 45 or 90 and it is common to provide two such elbows, one at the eavestrough which bends toward the downspout and one at the downspout which bends toward the eavestrough, the two being connected together. When the overhang of the edge is large, this presents no particular problem, but, when the over hang is small, it is sometimes difiicult to provide room enough to enable the installation of these elbows, with the result that a custom built elbow is required, which is expensive.

Although elbows are made which are adjustable, they are also expensive to make as well as difiicult to adjust.

The elbow of the present invention has certain attributes, due to its design, that enable one single design of elbow to fill substantially all the purposes of all the prior elbows used for this purpose, thus enabling the artisan to reduce the size of his stock on hand, and what is also important to assure that when he arrivers on a job he always has an elbow that can be used to fulfill his purpose and does not have to waste time hunting for a particular type of elbow, and then to find that he must return to the shop to get it.

Other disadvantages of the prior art metallic elbows resided in the fact that they were expensive to make. They usually were made of a flat sheet of metal which was then bent into the desired configuration and welded, soldered or riveted. A particular disadvantage resides in the fact that if they were adjustable they required sliding joints which were difficult to operate and which, when installed, soon rusted out, due to the fact that dirt got into the joints, absorbed and held water in contact with the metal.

Furthermore, the fitting of the joints to each other and to the eavestrough and downspout was accompanied by dilficulty, because the point where the joints coupled together or to the eavestrough or downspout required the interfitting of male and female members and one had to be larger than the other. If they were made of the proper 3,222,441 Patented Dec. 7, 1965 size so that a quick andeasy fit was obtained, then they had to be held together by screws or by soldering and the joint was usually sloppy, difficult to solder and not by any means a solid waterproof joint and one that did not improve with the passage of time.

With this type of product, it was extremely diificult to hold production dimensional tolerances Within predetermined limits, with the result that either the joint was loose or the parts were so nearly the same size that they could not be assembled together.

A further disadvantage of the metallic elbows resided in the fact that in cold weather the ice and snow accumulated in them and the alternate melting and icing caused the elbow to become clogged, due to their high thermal conductivity.

The present invention enables the manufacture of an elbow or coupling which is cheap to make, will not rust, and, wherein the connection to the other parts or between each other becomes more firm and leakproof as time passes, being self-sealing. Furthermore, it is so made that the problems of assembly is materially less difficult. Due to its method of manfuacture, the couplings are all identical to each other and no problem is realized in the field in assembling the same with other parts.

A further advantage resides in the fact that the coupling can be made in various colors. Another advantage is that it does not need painting, particularly on the inside. Once installed, it becomes an integral part of the drainage system and adds to rather than detracts from the aesthetic beauty of the installation. It may be installed by workmen With a limited amount of skill and with an assurance that once installed it increases its effectiveness with the passage of time.

Due to its low thermal conductivity, it is not subject to icing. Furthermore the construction allows it to expand and contract and partake of other movement due to the change in position of the eavestrough. Furthermore it is not subject to electrolysis as were the previous metal elbows.

Briefly, the invention contemplates the manufacture of the couplings by a molding process, from a plastic ma terial. The coupling itself comprises opposite end portions, one of which is adapted to be slipped over another connector and the other end adapted to he slipped into another connector. The intermediate portion of the coupling is provided with a bellows formation which provides the coupling with a certain degree of flexibility, allowing it to be bent in any direction and to expand and contract.

Still other advantages of the invention and the invention itself will become more apparent from the following description of some embodiments thereof, which description is illustrated by the accompanying drawings and forms part of this specification.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a coupling of my invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view thereof;

FIG. 4 is a bottom plane view thereof;

FIG. 5 is a view, partly in elevation and partlyin section, taken from the line 55 of FIG. 1

FIG. 6 is a similar view taken from the line 66 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view showing the bottom edges of a roof and its eavestrough with a pair of the couplings used to connect the same to a downspout.

Referring now to the drawings, throughout which like parts are designated by like reference characters.

As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, the coupling comprises an upper coupling member 10 which is generally square in cross section. It will be particularly noted that the side walls diverge from each other in an upward direction. This portion is adapted to be telescoped over the end of a connector 50 extending through an opening in an eavestrough 51.

As can best be seen from FIGS. 1 and 3, the long or front and back sides, of the part 10, are provided with an outwardly offset part 12, which extends longitudinally of the coupling and the adjacent side walls 21 are provided with a thickened mid-portion 22. Emphasis is placed upon the particular design because it has a definite hearing on the ease of installation and its ability after it is installed to provide a leakproof seal which improves with age and enhances the desirable operating characteristics of the material of which the device is composed.

At this point it should be pointed out that although many different types of plastic may be used a preferred plastic is one which has good cold flow characteristics; "that is one that will have limited flow, at low temperatures, and, still will not have excessive flow at the higher temperatures that may be encountered. One such type of material is a polyvinyl chloride which has some flow down to 20 F. and does not have excessive flow up to 160 F It should be noted that such a material has a degree of flexibility which permits installation in cold weather without cracking and which, although increasing in flexibility in hot weather, does not flow so much as to lose its gripping qualities. The character inherent in the material therefore cooperates with the design to provide a device which, after installation, will resist the variations in temperature and particularly will cause the device to gradually shrink and conform closely to the parts to which it is attached as time progresses, to ultimately make a coupling that will, in effect, become an integral part of the system in which it is installed.

The outwardly offset part is of particular advantage during installation. In a typical construction illustrated in the drawings where the rectangular dimensions are roughly 2 7 by 3", the inner wall of the offset part may be oifset from the bordering side wall portions at the top edges by This, as stated, is a typical construction, taking into consideration the size of the part and the material of which it is made. Variations in these dimensions will readily be apparent to those versed in the art. For instance, it is contemplated that the amount of the offset may decrease from the top edge toward the bottom to such an extent that at the lower end the offset disappears. The point of having the offset is that, during installation, increased flexibility is realized, which, together with the taper, facilitates its installation. Once the coupling is telescoped around a male member, as time progresses, the offset will gradually become smaller and the entire inner wall moves over and into close engagement throughout its full length with the coupling member. Likewise, at the lower and smaller end, the coupling will gradually move out and release the tensional stresses. Actually with the passage of time the pressure of the coupling with the outer member will become equalized throughout its circumference and length and this pressure will remain the same, due to the plastic memory of the device, i.e., the ability to stretch and after stretching lose some of its tension, or, to contract until a certain tension is reached and then stop contracting. The ability to expand and contract, and the fact that the material has a plastic memory, together with the particular design assures that an effective seal will be provided throughout a wide range of temperatures.

The thickened portion 22 also provides an important attribute. It will be noticed that the thickened part is opposite the mid-line through the coupling and gradually thins out toward the corners. Thus, on installation, the thickest part of the thickened portion provides a tangential engagement with the outer wall of the male member, which causes the wall 22 to bow outwardly slightly. But this outward bowing is resisted by the member being thicker in the midde and thus the outward force helps to bring the offset part 12 inward. This portion also causes the thinner corners to conform more closely to the corners on the male member. Furthermore, in time the increased thickness of the material permits a cold flow, preventing the corners from thinning down too much and breaking. This is becaues the sides being wider and the corners hugging the male member, plus the tangent pressure noted, cause the thickened part to flatten out. This is not a fast process but one which takes a certain amount of time, depending upon the temperature. It will be seen therefore that there is a definite cooperation between the thick part 22 and the offset 12 and the bordering par-ts that enhance the quick and easy installation and provide a coupling that once in place grows onto the part to which it is attached.

Immediately below the upper coupling part there is provided a generally circular flexible intermediate portion 30. This is comprised of a series of adjacent inwardly and outwardly extending convolutions, which provide a structure similar to the well known bellows. A typical construction, as illustrated, contemplates circumferentially extending corrugations the outer crests of which have a diameter of approximately 3%." and the inner crests of which have a diameter of 2 /2". The crests may be spaced apart longitudinally of the coupling.

Although the corrugations may be uniform from one end to the other, certain advantages are obtained if the radius of curvature at the roots and crests is larger at the top end. As a typical construction, the curvature at the roots at the top could be of Ms" radius while at the bottom they could be A radius.

The corrugations are circular to permit the device to be bent in any direction and it is possible, with this construction, to make any degreee of bend between 0 and and in any direction. Of particular interest is the fact that this type of material may be made relatively stiff under normal temperatures and therefore is not apt to sag after installation. Bending is facilitated by applying heat, such as by emersion in hot water, after which it may be bent while hot and then quenched with cold water to retain the desired bend in a more or less permanent state during installation. On the other hand, should there be any tension on the joint, due to the fact that the prebending was not of the exact amount, the cold flow characteristics would eventually cause the same to move and bend or unbend of its own accord until the device becomes stabilized.

The lower end of the device terminates in a male coupling member 40 which is identical in construction to the upper member except that it tapers in the downward direction or toward the end. In this respect, the offset portion 12a engages with the inner surface of the downspout and, on initial installation will be pressed mwardly, resulting in some inward bowing of the bordering wall portions on opposite sides. On the adjacent sides the thickened parts 22a have an initial tangential engagement with the opposite inner walls of the downspout. The shape is such, however, that this structure acts as two opposite levers, causing the corners to be pulled outward into close engagement with the corners of the downspout.

An additional advantage of the structure resides in the fact that since the lower end is smaller, it may be telescoped into the upper portion, when two of the units are used and an S curve is desired, with the parts 12a of the small end sliding closely within the parts 12 of the enlarged end.

In all instances there is a sufficient degree of flexibility that parts may be readily joined to each other or to the eavestrough and downspout and, after a time, gradually change in shape to such an extent that the parts closely grip each other and still retain sufficient of the original conformation that with changes in temperature the inherent resiliency Will maintain a good gripping engagement.

Having thus described the invention I am aware that numerous and extensive departures may be made therefrom without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

The method of connecting a guttering having a drain projection with a downspout which comprises forming a coupling of a material which may be caused to be pliable upon the application of heat and which has a limited cold flow characteristic at low temperatures and a plastic memory and wherein the coupling has a bendable intermediate portion and flexible tapered end portions substantially rectangular in cross section including sides for opposed offsets and opposed thickened portions to facilitate installation, warming said coupling to the point Where it can be distorted and bent from its original condition, and connecting the gutter projection with the downspout by said coupling while it is still in the distortable and bendable state by distorting one flexible tapered end portion of the coupling by forcing it over said projection with at least the said portion of each of the side walls in contact with the outer Wall of the projection, bending said intermediate portion of the coupling to align the opposite flexible tapered end portion of the coupling with the downspout, forcing said opposite end portion into the downspout with the sides having opposed offsets pressed inwardly and at least the corner portions in contact with the inner wall of the downspout, and allowing the assembly to cool so that due to the plastic memory and cold flow characteristics of the coupling material, both end portions of the coupling will gradually shrink wherein said one end portion will conform closely to and engage said projection substantially throughout the full length and inner periphery of said first end portion, and wherein the opposed offsets of said opposite end portion will gradually move out into engagement with the downspout substantially throughout the full length and outer periphery of said opposite end portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,575,617 3/1926 Bulley 264-249 2,766,806 10/1956 Rothermel et al. 18 2,966,372 12/1960 Phillips 285--332 3,021,571 2/1962 Jackson et al. 18 3,139,468 6/1964 Wheat 264230 FOREIGN PATENTS 180,258 12/1906 Germany.

19,147 1898 Great Britain. 301,099 9/1951 Switzerland.

ROBERT F. WHITE, Primary Examiner.

ALEXANDER BRODMERKEL, Examiner. 

